Wildlife habitat mapping using a small aerial vehicle

拟议的伙伴关系的目标是开发、演示和评估使用小型空中系统调查加拿大丰富多样的自然生境和野生动物的可行性。这一系统将为与野生动物管理有关的知情和平衡的政策决策提供数据，同时维持在大流行的经济挑战下遭受损失的自然资源行业，并在加拿大的经济复苏中发挥不可或缺的作用，特别是在COP26之后。该测量平台基于现有的太阳能飞机，重约15公斤，翼展6.3米，并已成功完成多次超过8小时的长时间飞行。该飞机将收集可见光和红外线范围内的数据。人工智能和其他先进算法将用于评估收集的数据。与其他方法相比，如卫星图像或使用载人飞机收集的图像，所提出的方法更具成本效益，更灵活，侵入性更小，对运营商的风险更小。如果提议的方法获得成功，加拿大将拥有另一个有效工具，将有助于就土地管理政策作出重要决定，这在我们摆脱这一流行病之际尤为重要。除了这些直接好处外，该项目还将有助于继续扩大加拿大在无人驾驶飞行器相关技术方面的世界领先地位，并提供至少六个HQP高质量培训机会。

The goal of the proposed partnership is to develop, demonstrate and evaluate the feasibility of using a small airborne system for surveying Canada's rich and diverse natural habitats and wildlife. Such a system will provide data for informed and balanced policy decisions related to wildlife management while maintaining a natural resource industry that has suffered under the economic challenges of the pandemic and plays an integral part in Canada's economic recovery, especially post COP26. The surveying platform is based on an existing solar-powered aircraft that weighs about 15 kg, has a 6.3-m wingspan and has successfully completed several long-duration flights exceeding eight hours. The aircraft will collect data in the visual and infrared ranges. Artificial intelligence and other advanced algorithms will be used to evaluate the collected data. Compared to other methods, such as satellite imagery or images collected using crewed aircraft, the proposed approach is more cost-effective, more flexible, less intrusive, and with fewer risks to operators. If the proposed method is successful, Canada will have another effective tool that will help make essential decisions regarding land-management policies, which is particularly important as we emerge from the pandemic. Aside from these direct benefits, the project will help with the continued expansion of Canada's world leadership in technologies related to uncrewed aerial vehicles and provide at least six HQPs high-quality training opportunities.